2021 VRSEA Annual Zoom Meeting Warning

This year, out of an abundance of caution, VRSEA will hold its Annual Meeting remotely, via Zoom.  You may recall that last year’s Annual Meeting was cancelled due to Covid-19.   We hope that in 2022 and beyond, we will be able to resume the VRSEA in-person Annual Meeting Luncheons.  It’s always more fun to see each other in person and enjoy the camaraderie!  

Time:

The VRSEA Annual Meeting will begin at 12:00 noon on August 11, 2021 via Zoom. 

Agenda:         

Welcoming Comments – President Shelley Martin

Business Meeting – Call to Order – President Shelley Martin

Secretary’s Report – Usually a review of the prior year’s Annual Meeting minutes.  However, as there was no 2020 Annual Meeting, this item will be tabled.

Treasurer’s Report/Proposed Budget/Auditor’s Report – Treasurer Roger Dumas

Report of the Nominating Committee – Bert Smith, Chairman

Voting on Trustees

President’s Report/Wrap-up – President Shelley Martin

The meeting agenda will be followed closely and votes for Trustees will be conducted during the meeting.  There will be a separate voting block for you to cast your ballot via a polling feature in Zoom.  Meeting attendees will be afforded time to submit votes via poll, and the results will be shared during the meeting, as well as being archived for official record.

How to Access the Meeting: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83421324753?pwd=SDlHMGRJdGhWRE1lL3RUdVJZZnN2UT09

Meeting ID: 834 2132 4753

Passcode: 988409

Many members may be familiar with the format of Zoom meetings, but here are a few hints to help you along:

To get into the meeting, use one of the following methods:  If you received an electronic copy of this newsletter, you can right-click on the link above, or copy and paste the URL into your browser.  If you received a hard copy newsletter, just go to https://zoom.us  Once there, you can enter the Meeting ID number and you can join the meeting in that fashion.

When you join the meeting, you will enter a “waiting room” and will be granted access from there.  This may take a minute or so, then the moderator will let you in.  Your microphone will be muted, by default, but can be activated once you are in the meeting.  To maintain order during the meeting, please remain muted unless you are recognized to speak.

Zoom has a “raise hand” feature available for participants who wish to be recognized for a comment or a question.  Also, there is a chat feature available that allows you to type in a question or comment for consideration during the meeting.  We will have moderators who will monitor the “raise hand” alerts, as well as the chat module.

VRSEA Special Events Survey Results:

Now that we can gather together again, the VRSEA Special Events Committee has been busy finding opportunities for us to do so! Recently, members with emails on file with VRSEA participated in a Special Events survey. The list of potential get-togethers included many possibilities developed by the VRSEA Special Events Committee. We are pleased that 295 VRSEA members responded with their choices, and the top 5 vote getters were as follows:

1.  The Spirit of Ethan Allen Daytime Cruise
2.  Champlain Tours October Foliage Dinner Train
3.  Vermont State Parks for Picnic Social/BBQ
4.  Shelburne Museum
5.  Informational Speakers’ Bureau with relevant topics for Seniors

Lots more information to follow soon - stay tuned!

Vaccine Supply: While the state is prepared for any amount of vaccine, it is very important to know that supplies of COVID-19 vaccine provided by the federal government are still currently limited. Vermont is receiving about 8500 doses each week. That is why the Administration has developed a vaccine distribution plan that focuses on Vermonters who are at greatest risk of losing their lives, and those who care for them. The goal is to administer vaccines as quickly as they come into us, ensure all eligible Vermonters who want the vaccine are able to receive it, and prevent as many deaths as possible.

Next Phase of Vaccine Distribution: We are nearly complete with vaccinations in Phase One, which included residents of nursing homes, long term care facilities and other congregate living facilities for the sick and elderly, as well as frontline health workers and first responders. The next phase will be for Vermont residents who are 75 years and older.

Starting January 25, people in Vermont who are 75 years and older can make an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine clinics will start on January 27. Based on the number of doses currently available, it could take up to 6-weeks to vaccinate the roughly 49,000 Vermonters who are over age 75.

You can see how many doses have been sent to Vermont – and how many we have administered – by visiting our vaccine dashboard:

https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-dashboard

Registration Details: Details will be released closer to the 25th. In addition to announcements from the Governor and Health Department updates, the state will work with health care practices, pharmacies, employers, and the media to communicate registration details.

There will be options to register online, or by phone. We are strongly encouraging a relative or friend to help their older loved ones register online to leave phone lines open for those who don't have help, and to avoid overwhelming the call center.

The forthcoming details will be the only way to register and make an appointment. You will not be able to make an appointment by calling any other Health Department phone number, your health care provider, or a hospital. However, if you have questions about whether you should get the vaccine, you should talk to your health care provider.

Stay up to Date: There are ways you can stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including who can get the vaccine and who will be eligible next. Check this website often:

https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/about-covid-19-vaccines-vermont

All links provide information updated continuously by VDH.  Also, a comprehensive link is provided on the VRSEA website under the Helpful Resources tab:

COVID-19 | Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov)

We wanted to let you know that the State, led by efforts from DAIL staff, launched a new portal for Vermonters to offer their services, in either paid or unpaid capacities, to assist with the COVID response across the state, particularly in the state’s Long-Term Care facilities that have been challenged by staff exposures and quarantines.  The Tagline is “Heroes Work Here”.

The link to the new portal is:

https://www.vermont.gov/covid-staffingd-sta

The volunteer positions are offered through the Medical Reserve Corps and SerVermont.  The paid positions are being managed by TLC Nursing, who have been engaged by DAIL to provide emergency assistance to LTCs.

We’d appreciate it if you could add this link to your VRSEA website to help boost awareness among our retired employees.

Thanks so much!!

Dan

Dan Pouliot | Deputy Commissioner| Vermont Department of Human Resources

120 State Street | Montpelier, VT  05620-2505 | Main: 802-828-3491 | Direct: 802-828-2027 |Cell: 802-735-4816 | Fax: 802-828-3409

 

Recently there have been press reports about the State Employees' Health Plan being “moved into” the OneCare Accountable Care Organization.  Some of this information has been misleading .  What follows is a quick summary that VRSEA has put together to bring our members up to date on this issue. 

• OneCare is an Accountable Care Organization which has been formed to implement and manage Vermont’s Health Care reform efforts for the entire state.
• Two of the objectives of health care reform are data-sharing among physicians and payment reform.
• OneCare is not an insurance company and will not replace BCBSVT as our health plan administrator.
• A OneCare attribution does not change your benefits, copays, premiums -  or who you can see for health care.  
• Many Vermont hospitals and physician practices are currently in the OneCare network, including UVMHC and Central Vermont Hospital.
• If you are seeing a doctor who is currently in the OneCare network,  your doctor may be sharing your health data in a secure way with OneCare.
• This is true whether you are covered by the State Employees Health Plan (pre-Medicare) , or Medicare and with State plan wraparound.
• You do have the right to “opt out” of having your individual data shared with OneCare.
• Your physician can answer your questions about OneCare,  and can also provide you with an “opt-out” form for data.
• If the State ends up attributing the State Employees Health Plan to OneCare effective January 1, we expect them to send all health plan members an “opt-out” form.

This is not a simple subject to explain,  but we hope this info is of value to you.  We will keep you posted with further details as they become available.

Sincerely,

Your VRSEA Board of Trustees

Hello Retired Vermont State Employees,

As part of Vermont’s COVID-19 response we are encountering a number of needs to serve COVID-19 positive individuals in Vermont’s most vulnerable populations. Some areas of current need are in Vermont’s long term care facilities, securing foster homes to provide short term care for youth who are COVID-19+, programs addressing food insecurity and shelter programs. All COVID-19+ situations will include appropriate PPE and applicable health/safety training. If you are willing and able to serve COVID-19+ individuals please do consider signing up at the below links or seek out local opportunities as the needs are many. There are of course opportunities as well to serve Vermonters that are not COVID-19 positive in each. If you aren’t in Vermont, feel free to check with your local agencies to see how you can be of service.

The Medical Reserve Corps:

We have an urgent need for medical volunteers to help respond to the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont. If you are a healthcare professional (licensed or non-), person with a health care administration background, or have experience in working with displaced people, please considering registering so that we may use your skills. 

http://oncallforvt.org/medical-reserve-corps/how-to-join/

Vermont DCF Foster Care:

You can help make sure children are safe and well cared for while they can’t be at home.

https://dcf.vermont.gov/foster

General Volunteers:

Thank you for answering Governor Scott’s call for volunteers and being willing to help other Vermonters in this time of need. The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly developing, so we are calling on Vermonters to sign up, let us know what skills they can offer, and be ready to serve if needed.  If we need you and your skills, we will be in touch. Our hope is to develop a large pool of people willing to help should any rapidly developing situation require additional volunteers.

https://www.vermont.gov/volunteer#gsc.tab=0

Many thanks for considering this request. 

Be safe and well,

DHR - Commissioner's Office

The VRSEA October newsletter will provide a paper enrollment form and an opportunity to pay by check as in prior years!

We understand that some VRSEA members have had difficulty re-enrolling online.  If you have, please wait for the VRSEA October newsletter.  The newsletter will be coming out later this month with the usual paper enrollment form and envelope for your convenience. You will then be able to enroll using a paper enrollment form,  and pay by check as in past years. 

This is our first year using an online enrollment option - and as is often the case - things don’t always go as smoothly as planned.  We apologize for any inconvenience to our valued members. 

If you have enrolled online - or printed off a form online and mailed it in, - we thank you!  Please do NOT send in another registration form and check when you receive the newsletter. You are all set for the upcoming year! 

If you are unable to use the online option, please wait for the October newsletter with a paper enrollment form and envelope.   Stay tuned - and stay well!

State Retirees’ Pension Is Fully Funded for 2021:  We are pleased to report that the Legislature and the Governor have agreed to fund the Retirement Board’s annual actuarial funding request at the full recommended level for 2021. VRSEA thanks State Treasurer Beth Pearce and Governor Phil Scott for their support of state retirees and the state retirement pension system.  VRSEA has been concerned that the pension funding requirement might suffer from the state’s economic turndown resulting from the Covid-19 virus.  We are very appreciative that this did not happen. 

Another piece of good news concerns the funding of the Future Retirees’ medical benefit unfunded cost liability.  Up until now, current retirees’ medical coverage cost for the state has been on a pay-as-you-go basis.  However, for future retirees, some state funds have been set aside.  Funding a pay-as-you-go system and also accumulating significant funds to transition to a pre-funded OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) system, has been difficult. Language included in the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Bill will allow the Treasurer to invest the accumulated OPEB funds for future retirees in the same manner as the pension funds.  This allows a higher rate of return, to help achieve pre-funding of the future medical liability sooner, and knock a significant portion of liabilities off the books.  We owe a debt of gratitude to Treasurer Beth Pearce, who has been fighting for this change for years!

The following are recent changes regarding the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) provision of the Vermont Deferred Compensation Plan (the 457 Plan): 

·         Under the Federal CARES Act signed in late March 2020, the normal Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are suspended for 2020, due to market volatility.   Prudential has suspended RMDs for the balance of 2020.    If you want (or need) the required minimum distributions for 2020, you will need to contact Prudential.   If instead, you are receiving a periodic withdrawal (i.e., monthly, quarterly, etc.),  you may voluntarily suspend your withdrawals for the remainder of the calendar 2020 year if you wish, but you must contact Prudential to do so; otherwise they will continue.   More information on this can be obtained from Prudential's Customer Service line at:  1-877-738-8376.

·         Under the Federal SECURE Act signed in late December 2019, the age for a required minimum distribution from all financial instruments for which RMDs are applicable, has been permanently changed from age 70.5 to age 72, for those who were born after July 1, 1949.   Information on this can be obtained on the IRS website: irs.gov/rmd and the Fact sheet FS-2020-4.

·         Please note that VRSEA has no further information about these changes.  Questions should be directed to Prudential at 1-877-738-8376. 

 

From “Seven Days”, April 8, 2020

Treasurer Reassures Retirees Pensions Will Be Paid

The good news, according to Treasurer Beth Pearce, is that the state has enough money — at least for now — to pay its bills.

Throughout the year, the state's cash position ebbs and flows as revenue comes in and payments are made. The next big outlay is scheduled for April 30, when the state is set to distribute $130 million to school districts. "We will be paying that on time and without disruption," Pearce said.

To provide an additional backstop, Pearce is calling on the legislature to extend the period during which she can borrow from restricted state funds to make payments. "It's like borrowing from yourself," she said. "It's cheaper than going out for a line of credit."

Pearce also oversees pension funds for state workers, teachers and municipal employees. Those were worth $4.6 billion at the end of the February — before the stock market tanked. The treasurer said she hasn't yet received an end-of-March update.

"They're gonna take some hits, and there's gonna be some volatility in the markets continuing," she said. "But we're long-term investors. We see things in a 30-year horizon. We have more than enough money, I want to assure retirees, to pay retirement bills."